Folding umbrella.



J. W. OLSSON. FOLDING UMBRELLA. APPLIUATION FILED MAY 2, 1912.

WITNESSES Patented June 3, 1913.

J. W. OLSSON. FOLDING UMBRBLLA.

l APPLIUATION FILED MAY 2, 1812. 1,063,378. Patented June 3,1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WIM/8858 #WEA/T05; WM uw Mmmm] L f" f EL 'I fla/MMV' l JOHN W. OLSSON,

0F NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA.

FOLDING UMBRELLA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led May 2, 1912. Serial No. 694,616. l

T0 all rfv/wm t may concern.'

Be it. known that I, JOHN United States citizen, News, in the county oflVarwick and State of Virginia. have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Folding Umbrellas, of which the following is aspecification.

My present invention has for its object to provide an umbrella, parasolor the like `which can be folded into relatively small compass and whichat the same time will "be as simple and inexpensive as possible inconstruction, will not differ inl appearance materially from an ordinaryumbrella, and iuay be manipulatedfwith ease and facility in the foldingor unfolding as well as in the closing or opening thereof.

I have fully illustrated the invention in the accompanying drawings,wherein,

Figure l is a side elevation of an umbrella constructed in accordancewith this invention, the parts appearing in their folded position andonly one rib structure being shown; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of thestaff, extended, certain parts appearing in section; Fig. 3 'shows thehandle-end portion of the staff, extended; Fig. 4 is a partly sectionalfragmentary View of that part of the staff which includes the device forlocking the staff in the extended position, said device appearing in theposition it occupies when the staff is folded; Fig. 5 is a sectionalview on line 0J-:r of Fig. 3; Fig. 6 shows W. OLssoN,

,the staff and one rib structure in the open position of the umbrella,the dotted outline of said structure indicating the manner in.

which the folding thereof takes place; Fig. T shows in side elevationthat part of said rib structure to which t-he stretcher is attached; Fig. 8 is a detail illustrating the relation of the rib mechanism andstretcher when folded; and Fig. 9 shows a detail of a part appearing inFigs. 7 and 8.

The statt a includes the a', a and a" which, when the staff is extended,abnt together end to end, as at b b in Fig. Q; the lower section a" maycarry the handle c. The staff is provided with means. part of which isinclosed therein, for securing its sections rigidly in their eX- tendedposition, the inclosed part thereof be` ing jointed so as to allow thesections to assume that relative position which constitutes the foldedcondition of the staff, thus:

A folded shaft. including an upper section d, and a lower anintermediate section residing at Newport link e, although tubularsect-ions` section d", the sections d and d being connected by the linke and the sections d and 03 being connected by the link e so as to allowthe folding of said shaft, is fitted into the sections of the staff a.The section d is attached to a spiral spring f inclosed within the uppertion a thereof, it will be obvious that section d prevents folding ofthe parts on the link ef, but-that such folding mayv occur as soon asthe section a has been slifl downwardly on theshaft far enough touncover the link. The section a of the handle, the same as the sectiona", may slide longitudinally of the shaft; when it abuts the lower endofsect-ion a, the lower end portion of section al of the stati' preventsthe folding of the parts on such folding may occur upon section a" beingslid downwardly suficiently to uncover said link e. In short, so long assection a ofthe staff covers the lower joint (6) in a the upper joint(e.) the shaft remains extended: but wh a are slid downwardlysufficiently 'so that they respectively uncover these joints, the shaftmay be folded.

The sections a'" and a are held upwardly, a against a" and a against aby means, now to be described, having support on the lower shaft sectiona, such means preserving a certain tension, by virtue of the spring f,which increases considerably the stability of the staff, whose sections,it will be observed, have square-cut butting contact with each other atthe points 7) 7): Fulcrumed on z. having its end 71. forked andconnected to the section d of the shaft by a link i which plays in aslot 7' in section am; the other end of the lever. L forms a handle 7Lwhich in the position shown in Figs-2 and 3 fits around the section a,being part cylindrical for that purpose. To hold the lever in theposition mentioned a hook 7c projects -from section a, passing throughthe hole l in the lever (Fig. 5) and engaging the same; by springing theend 7L of the lever to one side it may be made to clear this hook. Thelever in this position is acting. through the link and the shaft, tohold the spring f under tension, sections a', a and a of the staff beingheld abut- Patented June 3, i913.

the shaft and section the section a is a'leverl section `ci of the'Astaffl and fixed to a pin g therein; when the sect1on a of the stati'abuts the upper secit will be obvious that en said sections a" and i .ofthe parts, while it permits the folding and unfolding operations to beperformed with great facility and convenience. .The link e is preferablymade somewhat longer than the link e to allow suiicient r'oom for therib mechanism.

m denotes the crown, fixed on thestaff in the usual manner, and n therunner arranged to slide on the staff and to be held in either of itslimits of motion by one of the spring catches o o. A series ofstretchers o are pivoted to the runner in the usual manner.

The rib structures are formed as follows: Each rib structure comprisesfour sections,

l an inner section g which is pivoted at its inner end to the crown inthe usual manner, an outer section r and two intermediate sections s'and s pivotally connecting the sections gand r thus: The inner end ofthe section s is pivoted to section g at a point removed from the outerend thereof and to section r at its inner extremity, whereas the sections is pivoted to' the outer extremity of section g and to section r at apoint removed from the end thereof, forming, thus, a parallel linkarrangement. The free end portion of section g may be formed as anelongated/ outwardly open socket t in which the adjoining portion of thesection s may be, housed when the rib structure is extended (Fig."7); inthe free end of this socket the pivot for the inner end of section s islocated, the pin u forming the pivot being preferably movable in slots'v in the sides of the socket which allow a slight play of the parts atthis point, easing their folding operation. In order to clear the sockett in the folded position, the adjoining end of section s may be curvedinwardly slightly, as seen in Figs. 6 and 7 A slide w is arranged oneach section s",

and to this is pivotally connected the free end of the correspondingstretcher p. The stretcher penetrates an eye of a curved yoke having aslot w which is penetrated by the section s". This yoke has no functionexcept during the operation of folding or unfolding. It is confinedbetween shoulders m on section s, articulating in the line of its curvewhen the umbrella is o ened or closed. Coiled about the staff an securedto the crown is a spiral spring y and pivotally .connecting the lowerend of this Spring and the section g of the rib structure is a'link z.When the umbrella is closed the operation is resisted somewhat by `thisspring which, by tending to maintain the sections q in the openposition, aty this time thus preserves the rib structure againstpossible buckling at the joints in the socket t, properly incidentalonly to the folding operation.

The openin and closing operations of the improved um rella areJidentical to that of the ordinary umbrella, therunner being simplyreleased and raised or lowered. In folding (the umbrella being closed),the rib sections q are held closed or contracted by the `hand orotherwise ,and the runner released and moved upwardly on the shaft, therib structures buckling in the manner indicated by the dotted lines inFig. 6. Such'buckling may continue until the sections 1' lie against thesections s and '8 and the latter against the sections g, as will beobvious. During the operation of folding the ribs, no appreciablemovement of the' slides fw outwardly on the rib sections s takes place,but once this operation4 is completed said slides move outwardly ontherib sections s", the stretchers sliding through the eyes of the yokes mand thus allowin the runner to be advanced up to the position shown inFig. 1 where the stretchers have their lower ends substantiallycoincident with those of the sections g, s,'s" and 7'. Thestatf maythen'be folded in the way already set forth. In unfolding, the staff isfirst extended. The runner is then drawn down on the staff until itreaches the lower spring catch o, during which operation the slides/ware first brought to the inner extremities of the sections s of the ribsand then the ribs unfolded or extended, operations just the reverse ofthose involved in the folding. It will be understood that the line 2-inFigs. 1, 6 and 7 indicates the usual fabric cover.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a staff structure for an umbrella,a plurality of tubular members, and connected means including a'springassociated therewith to maintain the adjoining ends of said members inabutting and alined relation to each other, said means also including anoperating device for imparting longitudinal pressure to said members andmovable vrelatively to said members to free the same from said pressure.

2. In a staff structure for an umbrella, a plurality of tubular members,and a connected s ring-including train of parts associated t lerewith tomaintain the adjoining ends of saidy members in abutting and alinedrelation to each other, said train of parts also including an operatingdevice for imnected spring-including parting longitudinal pressure .tosaid members and movable relatively to thelatter to free the same fromsaid pressure.

3. In a sta-ii structure for an umbrella, a plurality of tubularmembers, and a contrain of parts partially housed in said members andattached at one endl to one of the terminal members, said train of partsserving to maintain the adjoining ends of the members in abutting andalined relation to each other, said train also including an operatingdevice connected to the other terminal member for imparting longitudinalpressure to the members, said operating device being movable relativelyto the members to free the same from said pressure.

4. In a stall'i structure' for an umbrella, a plurality of tubularmembers adapted to be alined in abutting relation to each other, andconnected means associated therewith to maintain the members in suchrelation, said means including a spring, a folding shaft connected tosaid spring and housed within said members, said shaft being movablelongitudinally of the members in the alined position thereof to bringits jointportion into and out of coincidence with the abutting ends ofsaid members, and an operating device for imparting longitudinalpressure to said members, said device being movable relatively to saidmembers to free-the same from said pressure.

5. In a stall structure for an umbrella, up-

per, intermediate'and "lower tubular members alined with each other andmovable into separated and inter-abutting relation, a shaft ineloscd insaid members, attached to the upper member and including upper,intermediate and lower sections pivotally jointed together, and means,connected with the lower shaft section andincluding a fulcrum operatingdevice engaged with the lower tubular member, for exerting upwardpressure upon the latter and thereby holding the same against theintermediate member and said intermediatel member against the uppermember, substantially as described.

6. In a staff structure for an umbrella, upper, intermediate and lowertubular members alined with each other and movable linto separated andinter abutting relation, a shaft inclcsed in said members, attached tothe upper member and including upper, intermediate and lower sectionspivotally jointed together, and means, connected with the lower shaftsection and including a fulst-retcher pivoted at one crum operatingdevice engaged with the lower tubular member, for exerting upwardpressure upon the latter and thereby holding the same against theintermediate member and said intermediate member against the uppermember, said upper and lower shaft sections respectively intersectingythe meeting ends of the upper and intermediate members and theintermediate and lower members when they abut against each other,substantially as described.

7. In combination, the stati, a crown fixed thereon, a runner slidinglyarranged on the staff, a rib structure pivoted to the crown andincluding an inner and a relatively Outer ,portion pivotally jointedtogether, the joint between said portions being adapted to buckledownwardly, a stretcher pivotally connecting the runner with the outerportion of the rib structure atI a point between said joint and theouter end of said portion, and yielding means connected to the innerportion of the rib structure and resisting the downward pivotal movementof said inner portion of the rib" structure, substantially as described.

8. In combination, the staff, a crown fixed thereon, a runner slidinglyarranged on the stall', a rib structure pivoted to the crown andincluding inner and outer sections, and upper and lower intermediatesections pivotally connected to said inner and outer sections in aparallel-link arrangement, a stretcher pivoted at one end to the runner,and a slide movable longitudinally on the lower intermediatesection,'the outer end of the stretcher heilig pivoted to the slide,substantially as described.

9. In combination, the statt, a crown fixed thereon, a runner slidinglyarranged on the staff, a rib structure pivoted to the crown andincluding inner and outer sections, and upper and lower intermediatesections pivotally Y,connected to said inner and outer section sfin aparallellink arrangement, a end to thev runner, a slide movablelongitudinally on the lower intermediate section, the outer end of thestretcher being pivoted to the slide, and a yoke attached to said lowerintermediate section and freely penetrated by the stretcher,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof- I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN W. OLSSON.

Witnesses:

CHARLES C. MITCHELL, HENRY W. FRONDT.

